Surfie Heaven

Locals call this pocket of coast between Byron and Coolangatta “God’s country”, and once you’ve experienced a 7am surf alongside dolphins right outside this beachfront retreat’s front gates, you’ll get what they mean. Set on 3.6 hectares, this tri-level, fish-shaped compound has eight themed rooms on its first-floor and four penthouse suites, a six treatment- roomed spa and gym, and tennis court. Whether you sign up for a two-, three-, five or seven-night program, you’ll want to spend every spare second of it outdoors, though: in the pool, walking the long stretches of deserted beaches, or grabbing a bike and heading north to Cudgen Creek for paddle boarding lessons. (Don’t cycle south towards the cute little village of Boganbar — talented baristas lurk there and Murphy’s law dictates you will be sprung buying contraband skinny lattes: oh, the shame.) Culinary guru Samantha Gowing as Cabarita’s head chef serves up surf-spa food, using seasonal fresh fruit and vegetables from the Tweed Coast region, providing a mostly organic menu that includes meat and local seafood, along with raw cacao and superfood “treats” to sate any sugar cravings. With naturopaths, beauty therapists, masseuses and personal trainers at your beck and call, Cabarita is all about customised programs, individual care and small groups. So there’s no military-style bullying here, just gentle coercing to join in activities such as surfing lessons that will have you burning calories without even realising.– Eugenie Kelly

Rewriting the rules

Located at beautiful Salt Beach, not far from the New South Wales/Queensland border, NuYu takes residence alongside swanky resorts, utilising the facilities from 4.5-star host resort Mantra. The first thing I discover: there’s no typical day in the six-day schedule. Fitness activities such as paddle boarding, circuit training and hiking are crammed into the timetable alongside healthy-cooking classes, nutrition training and life-coaching sessions; expect at least 35 hours a week of face-to-face expert help. Equally as results-focused is the menu, designed by celebrity nutritionist Joanna McMillan, with meals whipped up by Hat-level chefs in Season restaurant in the adjoining Peppers Resort. Lunch packs are available on Sundays should guests be nervous about succumbing to temptation when they venture out on their “day off ”. Two days in and I’ll admit I would have happily stabbed someone for a Diet Coke, yet I never experienced hunger; rather, I just felt lighter and more energised. NuYu is great for those who need a swift kick up the rear and want firm guidance breaking bad habits. No more vowing to start diets on Sunday nights (and falling off the wagon by Wednesday) for me anymore. I’ve just had my reset button pushed.– Sara McLean

Get your *om *on …

Striking the perfect balance between yoga, detoxing and à-la-carte physical pampering are Fiona Parker’s sublime retreats in blue-ribbon addresses, which range from Bali’s Como Shambhala and Uma Ubud to Bells at Killcare in New South Wales and even exotic Bhutan. The effervescent Sydney-based director of Ashtanga Yoga Space is passionate about the discipline and her students — and it shows. Her well thought-out retreat schedule caters for both enthusiastic neophytes and advanced devotees who want to finesse their practice and soak up the delights of the five-star environs while enjoying decadent beauty treatments and mind-blowingly good spa. Parker offers several retreats throughout the year but for those wanting an intensive, the Uma Ubud six-day package is our pick. In addition to the roster of twice-daily ashtanga yoga classes, meditation workshops and delicious raw-food/macrobiotic brunches, there is also the divine Uma spa (the lulur yoghurt body scrub and petal bath is a must), 25-metre pool, infra-red sauna, steam room and palatial suites, some boasting their own koi ponds. By week’s end you’ll feel light, lissom and positively euphoric. Promise.– Jeanne Carey

Splendid isolation

Eco Beach is built on a rugged stretch of Western Australian coastline an hour’s drive from Broome and is environmentally aware in both name and nature. Guests stay in either safari-style tents or eco villas, most of which front the Indian Ocean and use intelligent design to minimise energy usage and instead capture sea breezes and natural light. Eco Beach was also one of the first domestic resorts to tap the growing interest in the local yoga-focused getaway, born out of guests’ responses to the daily classes held in its Dragonfly yoga room. Visiting teachers regularly conduct live-in retreats of up to 10 to 25 people, and there are also the resort’s own Wellbeing and Stay Active packages, the first including massage, meditation and reflexology consultations; the second an adrenaline-fuelled mix of sea kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding and bushwalking. Food is simple and clean, making the most of abundant local seafood and also mining the resort’s own kitchen garden for super-fresh salads. After a day of activity, opt for a beach dinner in one of the simple beach shacks. Your own fire pit, romantic citronella lanterns and an endless sky. Pristine. Sure, it’s a long, long way from anywhere, but isn’t that precisely the point?

– Frances Hibbard*

Island Luxe

Is there a more fashionable base for a yoga weekend than a Diane von Furstenberg-approved abode in the tropics? The American designer’s new eponymous penthouse at Hayman island resort, at the northernmost tip of the Whitsundays, perhaps? The two-bedroom, printtastic space provides the right mix of dynamic inspiration and stylish isolation for those participating in the resort’s new yoga and wellness retreats. The programs, which can be taken at any time, fuse theory (health-focused presentations and classes) with practical (chi gung, tai chi, yoga, personal training in the open-air gym and daily spa treatments) and plenty of R&amp;R. The focus is on empowerment; giving people the confidence to make small changes that have a large impact on quality of life. Spend three days getting to grips with a daily yoga and pranayama practice, hiking the island’s bush paths and floating on the Coral Sea — Hayman’s version of a watsu pool — as part of the spa’s signature Ocean Massage, and you’ll feel as energised and creatively inspired as any fashion dynamo.– Frances Hibbard